EU found to have wasted £3.45bn after dumping unwanted Covid jabs

EU found to have wasted £3.45bn after dumping unwanted Covid jabs

WATCH HERE: Fifth of Britons back return of Covid restrictions

Oliver Trapnell

By Oliver Trapnell


Published: 18/12/2023

- 12:48

Updated: 18/12/2023

- 12:48

Germany is reported to have thrown away the largest amount of vaccines

EU countries have been found to have wasted billions of taxpayer euros after dumping unwanted Covid jabs.

Millions of doses of the vaccine, purchased by EU countries when they became widely available in 2021, have reportedly been wasted.


Countries across the bloc took delivery of 1.5 billion jabs - more than three for every person in Europe.

However, according to an analysis by Politico, an estimated 215 million vaccines were sent to landfill at a cost of €4billion (£3.45billion) to taxpayers.

Covid NHS ward

Covid NHS ward

PA

The analysis is based on just 19 European countries meaning the total waste produced is likely to be much higher - possibly stretching to as much as 312 million destroyed jabs.

Germany is reported to have thrown away the largest amount of vaccines - accounting for 83 million discarded doses.

Italy came in second, totalling more than 49 million wasted jabs.

According to the data, some large governments such as France were reluctant to provide data while four of the 19 countries were reported in local media.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Olaf Scholz

Germany is reported to have thrown away the largest amount of vaccines

PA

One reason given for throwing out so many vaccines is that since they were produced, newer versions of the jabs have been introduced in order to combat new coronavirus variants and making older strains of the vaccine obsolete.

The analysis comes as new polling has suggested a fifth of the British public would back the return of Covid measures.

Research from campaign group More In Common polled 2,033 people between November 30 and December 4 asking if they would back some form of Covid measures.

The question asked was "Currently, there are no legal Covid-19 restrictions in place in the UK. Thinking of the current health situation in the UK, would you support or oppose the Government re-introducing each of the following Covid-19 restrictions at the current time?"

Covid restriction signNew poll reveals FIFTH of the public would support bringing back Covid measuresPA

Millennials (aged 25-40) are the most likely to back restrictions with a third of millennials backing closing night clubs, and three in ten backing re-introducing the rule of six.

The Silent Generation (aged 75+) were the least supportive of restrictions on meeting in groups of more than six, with just 18 per cent supporting and 78 opposing it.

More in Common UK director Luke Tryl said: “Support for bringing back restrictions is highest among our Loyal National segment - the group that is the closest to matching Red Wall voters. Four in 10 back closing night clubs, nearly six in 10 want mandatory masks back.

“Worth saying, (and I think there is a mismatch that makes more engaged people find this hard to understand), Do qual on this and you find is a sizeable minority group of people who quite liked lots of aspects of lockdown (not the pandemic itself, but the lifestyle).

“On the difference between revealed/stated preference on masks.

“Again do qual and you find people on a range of issues want clear rules which don't rely on personal choice (ditto on climate) lots of people would just like things banned rather than it left to their individual choice.”

You may like